A new trailer for The Rising of Shield Hero Season 2 released.
The new, English-subtitled trailer sees the titular hero Naofumi and his two most trusted traveling companions, Raphtalia and Filo, setting out on a journey to stop the rampage of a legendary beast, the Spirit Tortoise. At the end of the trailer, they meet a new character, Ost Horai, who begs the heroes to kill her. Horai will play a major role in the events of the next season, and will be voiced by actor Kana Hanazawa, who previously starred in Durarara!! and Cells at Work. The new season of the fantasy series is scheduled to premiere sometime next April.
The isekai series tells the story of Naofumi Iwatani, a university student who finds himself transported to a fantasy world. Naofumi is named one of this world's four new Cardinal Heroes and is gifted a magical shield. While the other heroes receive a great deal of support in their exploits, Naofumi is betrayed by the leaders of the kingdom and is stripped of all of his belongings and status. Forced to rebuild his reputation from rock-bottom, Naofumi sets out with a new pair of companions to help the people of his new world and unravel a mystery that threatens to destroy all of reality.
While the series was initially criticized for its use of a false sexual assault allegation as a plot point, the show has since become a hit with both fans and critics alike, with praise being directed towards its characters and its changes to the traditional isekai anime formula. The show has been such a success that Crunchyroll, which streams the series in North America alongside Funimation, has already confirmed that it will return for a third season.
The Rising of Shield Hero was originally created by author Aneko Yusagi. Originally published as a web novel in 2012, the series has since been adapted into a manga and an anime series. The anime is produced by Kinema Citrus, the animation studio behind Made in Abyss. The first season was directed by Takao Abo, who previously directed episodes of Macross Frontier and Eureka Seven. Abo will be replaced in the second season by director Masato Jinbo, who directed both seasons of Restaurant to Another World and several entries in the Fate franchise. The second season of the anime will be co-produced by South Korean animation studio DR Movie, while most of the cast and crew from the series' original run will return to reprise their roles for the continuation.
Source: YouTube
